Fuse



July 11, 1950 J. B. HATCHER 2,515,040

FUSE

Filed Dec. 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

Patented July 11, 1950 UNHZT ED @FHQE FUSE John B. Hatcher, Chicago, 111., assignor to the United States of Americans-represented bmthe Secretary of the Navy Application December 1 1-947",-Seria,l' No. l89gl29 1 Claim.

This invention relates -to fuzes and is particularly directed to 7 improvements in fuzesdesigned for use with rocket typeprojectiles.

A principal QbjeGtOi the present invention is to .provide a u eio ar tating r k tzwhi h is armed by centrifugal forceand automatically fired after a predetermined time delayor atany ,ments. wilLbe apparent from the following description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of the present I invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken along the longitudinal axis of the fuze;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral I refers to an annular base body having a threaded extension la at its base adapted to fit into the nose of a rotating rocket (not shown). The base end of the bore through the body I receives a detonator holder plate 2 in which is seated a centrally located detonator 3. The plate 2 is covered by a disk 4 which in turn covers and is secured to one end of a rotatable cylindrical relay detonator housing 5 extending through the forward side of the body I. The relay detonator housing 5 is provided with a central bore 6 which alines with a bore 6a in the disk 4 which registers with the detonator 3.

Grouped around the central bore 6 is a series of axially directed relay detonator bores 1. Each relay detonator bore receives a delay detonator unit 3. In place of one of the bores I the relay detonator housing is provided with a blind hole I in its forward end. Any one of the delay detonator units 8 is adapted to register with a lateral passage 9 extending through the disk 4 and communicating with the bore Ea in the detonator 3.

The base body l is covered by an intermediate body II, the base end of which caps the housing and is rotatably interlocked with the base housing I by a locking ring [2. The intermediate body ll-Asa-providedv with asmall 'longitudinalibore l 3 hichralines withithe bore 6. Thevbore l3 isrin- 1.: terseeted by. a transverseibore :and a-transverse 5.:SQCkiBt. Indira-transverse bore is a. pair-of opsech; centrifugal. release =plungers t ;backed on heirzradiating cuterrsidesby springs 15. EThGlIlp, ier-ends.- of the plungers 14; are -pointed.;to fit in the; transverse borers! t. of a stem 1 l carried b a tchstnd I a-fitting .the transverse; socket. ::Norally he, radially inner, ends ofgtheplungers I4 hold e stud liagainstradialmovement...When h, J d; isyin, its-lradially-.inner positiom; it secui'es a key ball; lain position .to restrain a-detonator pin 28 mounted in a hole 2! extending axially in the intermediate body H and adapted to register with any one of the delay detonator units 8 or the blind socket It. The detonator pin is backed by a spring 22.

The intermediate body H is covered by an outer body 23 likewise having a central bore 24 therein. The inner or base end of the bore 24 receives a detonator 25. The outer end of the bore 24 receives a detonator plunger 2511 having a head 26 covered by a light cap 21. The bore 24 is intersected by a transverse bore which carries a pair of centrifugal release pins 28 backed at the radially outer sides by springs 29.

The operation of the fuze is as follows:

The fuze is normally set so that the blind socket ill alines with the detonator pin Ell (Fig. 3) The centrifugal release plungers it hold the stud [8 in its radially inner position thereby locking the detonator pin in its forward position against spring 22 through the agency of the key ball I9.

Before firing the rocket the intermediate body H is rotated manually from the initial or safety position (as in Fig. 1) to any of the several positions (I, 2, 3, l, 5, in Fig. 1) alining a corresponding delay detonator 8 with the detonator pin 20. The dela detonator units are designed to provide a selective time delay.

When the rocket is fired, centrifugal force forces the release plungers M radially releasing the latch stud it which is then likewise thrown radially by centrifugal force to release the key ball l9 whereupon the detonator pin 28 immediately pierces the delay detonator unit I alined therewith. After a delay, as determined by the delay detonator, detonator 3 is fired which in turn operates an auxiliary detonating fuze in the rocket head.

Also when the rocket is launched, the centrifugal release pins 28 move radially freeing the detonator plunger so that the detonator plunger will fire on impact as long as the rotation of the rocket is above the critical speed necessary to hold released the centrifugal release pins 28.

While the invention has been described with reference to a certain preferred example thereof which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is my intention therefore to cover in the appended claim all such changes and modifications.

What I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is: 1

A fuze comprising a turnable detonator housing, chambered to accommodate plural detonator units, a base member of essentially tubular form, closure means heading one end of said member, resulting in a cylinder, said closure means having a lateral passage with which one of the chambers is registrable, said detonator housing fitting the cylinder and projecting forwardly of the base member, an outer body and an intermediate body secured together, said intermediate body being recessed to match the cylinder and being attached to the base member to contain the axis of the bore and consisting of pairs in the respective outer and intermediate bodies oriented perpendicularly to each other and situated in front and back of the detonator position in the outer body, a spring-loaded detonator pin carried by the intermediate body in line with a selected detonator chamber, means locking said pin in retracted position, said means including a centrifugally displaceable stem initially held in blocking position across the bore through impalement by the respective pair of detents, and a detonator plunger carried by the outer body in front of that respective pair of detents.

JOHN B. HATCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 718,282 Ruegg Jan. 13, 1903 1,229,669 Stuart June 12, 1917 1,311,081 Martin July 22, 1919 1,311,792 Driggs July 29, 1919 1,762,674 Teitscheid June 10, 1930 2,090,457 Morpeth et al Aug. 17, 1937 2,422,548 Heberd June 17, 1947 2,465,009 Chase Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 308,499 Germany 1919 

